"Qian!"
She turned at the sound of her name being called and smiled happily upon seeing Kasumi (with Mini-maru perched on her bare shoulder), Panda, Toge, and Maki behind her. "Y-You guys! Wow, you all look amazing!" Qian gushed emphatically, trotting over to them.
The swordswoman wore a sky-blue midi dress, her hair braided to the side and tied with a gold ribbon that matched the one wrapped around her waist, with Mechamaru wearing a matching gold tie around his little neck. Toge wore a gray and navy checkered button-down shirt and a dark surgical mask, his hair brushed back, while Maki wore a plain black sleeveless jumpsuit, her hair now tied in a bun rather than her usual ponytail. Qian giggled as she turned to Panda, who even had a bright green bowtie for the occasion.
"Of course! Sorry, we actually got here a while ago but couldn't find you!" Kasumi exclaimed, clasping her hands in glee. "There's so many people here!"
"I-I know!" Qian sighed in defeat, scratching her cheek sheepishly. "M-My parents know too many people."
"Speaking of, where are they?" Kasumi squealed, searching around. "I want to meet them!"
"Are these the infamous Jujutsu High sorcerer's-in-training?" A familiar voice called from behind her and she turned to see her brother, his dark hair combed to the side as he fixed his tuxedo. He placed an arm over his sister's shoulders as he extended his hand. "Welcome! Tomioka Zeng, the better of the Tomioka siblings. How do you do?"
"N-Nii-san! Not so loud!" Qian hissed, casting a frantic glance at her friends, who thankfully seemed unbothered as they returned his greeting one at a time.
Maki, however, quirked a brow. "He knows about us?"
Qian opened her mouth to reply but Panda beat her to it as he leaned over her shoulder, cupping his paw over his snout. "I asked Principal Yaga yesterday about how I should act; he said with the brother, it's safe." He nodded to the medical assistant. "She told him about it ahead of time- It seems that he's susceptible to cursed energy and not completely ignorant of what happens in our world."
"Correct." They turned to the man, who tapped his ear with a wry grin. "I have pretty sharp hearing, comes with being a lawyer. Even though I cannot actually see them like my sister can, I do sense their presence. Anyways-" He straightened his back as he glanced at his sister. "Don't mean to interrupt but, our Aunt Glenn has been looking for you all night."
"O-Oh, they're here? I thought she and Uncle Henry couldn't make it." Qian dipped her head politely towards the others. "I-I'm sorry, I'll have to catch up with everyone later. Please take your time and enjoy the party!"
—-
Satoru approached the bar, asking the bartender for another glass of orange juice, before turning to lean against the counter with a sigh. Shoko disappeared somewhere and his students were-
He bit back a chuckle as he saw them floundering on the dance floor, with Megumi glaring at them from the sidelines. Thriving, putting it mildly.
"You didn't bring a date?" A curious voice queried from beside him as he looked over to see a familiar blond regarding him intently.
He raised a brow. "Was I supposed to?"
Miyano shrugged as she tucked a loose strand back into her messy bun. "I mean, you can do whatever you want, it's just from what I hear- you're a ladies man so I assumed you'd bring someone to this sort of thing." She adjusted the bust of her strapless floor-length copper gown, the sequins glittered in the dim lighting.
Satoru smirked. "Nah, for formal events like this, it would give them the wrong impression so I avoid bringing any one of them here."
"Ah. I see." She waved the bartender down.
"How about you?" Satoru asked, crossing his arms as he leaned against the counter. "Why are you alone?"
"No date, I actually have my eye on one of your students." She smugly locked her gaze on her target, who appeared to be standing away from the dance floor, on the receiving end of conversation with Maki and Panda.
Satoru gave a mock shudder. "You sure? I mean, I know furries are a popular trend now but I can guarantee you-"
Miyano rolled her eyes with a snort. "Ha, ha. And you're a comedian too! What a surprise." She pointed at the cursed speech user. "Nope, I got my eyes set on Mr. Dark and Stormy over there."
"Toge?" Satoru paused for a moment before nodding in approval. "He's a good kid, a bit hard to talk to but once you get to know him, he'll open up."
"Yeah, he's definitely on the quiet side but, I don't know, he kind of does it for me." She shrugged. The bartender handed her a glass of red wine and she nodded her thanks, taking a sip. Upon seeing Satoru's suspicious gaze, she rolled her eyes and reached into her clutch, pulling out her wallet and plucked her license out of the slot, dangling it in front of him. "I'm 19 and a half, it's close enough, cut me some slack."
Satoru held his hands up in defense before the bartender handed him his glass. "Just wondering, because your 'other half' is 18 and, as a teacher, I'm responsible to make sure there's no underage drinking." He raised the drink to his lips.
"Qi? Nah dude, she turned 19 like a week ago." She grinned cheekily, folding her wallet. "Not like it matters, she hates alcohol anyways."
The fluid suddenly went down the wrong tube, causing the man to cough. He gulped and used a napkin to wipe his mouth, taking a moment to clear his throat. "...what?"
"Hm?" Miyano peered up at him innocently. She gasped in mock offense. "Wait, you didn't know? Tsk, tsk, shame on you, that's such a low blow. I thought you all were friends." She clicked her tongue at him disapprovingly.
"How the hell was I supposed to know? It's not like we…really talk." He grumbled the last part under his breath, though the blonde heard it quite plainly despite the loud music.
"Well, she's definitely been doing a lot of talking tonight." Miyano remarked, sighing as she observed the crowd. "She's been running around like a headless chicken- trying to be a good daughter and greeting every single guest, even the weird ones."
Satoru quirked a brow and she jerked her chin beyond the crowd, where one of the older, drunken men kept pawing at Qian, trying to grab her hand and drag her to the dance floor.
The sorcerer frowned upon seeing the way his grubby hands kept touching her bare arms, his pudgy fingers gripping her silken skin…
"O beware, my lord… It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on." Shoko's voice distantly echoed in his mind as he mumbled a brief 'Excuse me' to the blonde, missing her smug expression.
Miyano turned to the bartender. "Give me a shot of tequila, I am the best wingwoman in the world."
—-
"U-Uncle Henry, you're drunk." Qian urged, biting back a giggle as she tried to tug herself free from the old man. Her uncle was normally a very quiet, kind gentleman when sober. However, he always became super affectionate (and a bit rambunctious) after having a few drinks. She knew he would never harm her, and in the past, she would let him dance with or coddle her. However, she really didn't have time tonight- there were too many people she had to greet for her parents.
"Butttttttt Qiannnnnnn, your favowite uncle hasn't seen you in SOOO long!" He slurred, tightening his grip on her wrist and swinging their limbs around haphazardly as they were dancing. "Remember how I used to carry you on my shoulders when you were THISS tall?" He waved his hand towards the ground. "I would swing you allllll 'round the dance floor and you LOVED it! We gotta do it again!"
"I-I'm too old for that now, Uncle Henry." She reminded with a defeated smile. "R-Remember at your and Aunt Glenn's wedding, we tried but I tripped and fell on my face!"
"Ohhh it's fineeeeeeeee, we just need to pwactice!" He garbled, giving one more pull. Qian dug her heel onto the marble floor and glanced behind her; usually her brother would be the one to take care of their drunk relatives during their family get-togethers. But curiously, he was nowhere in sight. Hm, maybe he went to talk to Mom and Dad?
Suddenly, a firm hand gripped his forearm and the pair turned their heads to face its owner. Qian gasped upon seeing Satoru, who was visibly sneering at the man.
His ice-blue eyes glowed in rage upon seeing how tightly the old man was holding her wrist. "She said no."
"G-Gojo-sensei?" Qian stammered in shock. "W-What are you-"
"HAAAA?! Who the hell are you?" Henry babbled, pointing a fat finger in accusation at the sorcerer.
"Let's go." Satoru jerked and twisted the man's arm back to easily break his hold on her, resulting in a surprised squeal from the man. Satoru then grabbed her bicep, dragging her into the crowd towards the outdoors.
"S-Sensei?" She tried tugging her arm out of his hold but his grip was strong. She couldn't help but follow, tripping over her heels. She frantically peered over her shoulder, worried about her relative. But the man appeared to be perfectly fine, seemingly forgetting the incident as he started dancing around in his drunken state, blissfully ignoring the questions of concerned onlookers surrounding him.
She internally sighed in relief and turned back to the sorcerer, furrowing her brow in confusion. What was wrong with him?! She winced as she tripped again, her open-toed dress shoes were not easy to walk in. They finally reached outside, which consisted of a quaint floral garden, decorated with patches of white roses, blush lilies, and mauve lilacs miscellaneously scattered around a majestic porcelain fountain. Once they reached the stone path, Qian finally dug her heel. "S-Sensei, stop!"
He halted in his step and turned around to glare at her. "What?"
"Y-You're hurting me." She murmured as she looked down at his hand, which was still grasping her upper arm. He immediately released his hold, as if her skin burned like a pot of boiling water. She rubbed the spot where his fingers were clenched.
"Sorry." He grumbled, turning away as he took off his glasses, running a hand over his face. He released a breath and massaged his temples, unable to stop himself from opening his mouth. "What the hell were you thinking?"
"E-Excuse me?" Qian's eyes snapped up to look at him in bewilderment. She was very confused.
"How defenseless are you, to let some drunk guy fondle you like that?" He violently loosened his tie as he glowered at her, suddenly feeling hot despite the cold autumn breeze blowing between them. "Haven't you learned anything?"
"H-He isn't some drunk guy, he's my uncle who has always been very kind to me." Qian argued, placing her hands on her hips as she tilted her chin up to face him fully. "H-He would never hurt me, he just gets that way when he's been drinking!"
Satoru paused with that information, before he gritted his teeth. "Well… still! You should be more careful, what if he wasn't your relative and some random person? What would you do then?"
"I-I would be fine, I can take care of myself!" She retorted, her cheeks puffed in anger. "B-Besides, why do you care? I thought you made it clear you wouldn't come help me anymore if anything went wrong."
"Because I can't help it." He countered before clamping his jaw shut, immediately regretting his outburst. He looked away, covering his eyes with a hand. For a moment, there was silence as Qian became speechless, processing his words.
He finally released a heavy sigh. "I don't know why. I…" He ran a hand through his hair, messing his perfectly styled locks, in frustration. "The thought of you getting hurt…bothers me."
The girl regarded him curiously, her cheeks turning pink. She gulped and shook her head, trying to stop her mind from straying to the impossible. He must still feel guilty about that incident… "W-Well, thank you. But you shouldn't keep feeling guilty about what happened- I'm really okay."
Satoru raised his eyes to meet hers quizzically, soon realizing she was referring to their last encounter. "What? No, that's not-"
"N-No, no, I know." She assured with a nervous smile. "I-I mean, having your tolerance with me still being here was more than I could ask." She averted her gaze, feeling embarrassed and self-conscious, but happy. "B-But having you care about me like one of your students really means a lot. Thank you."
"A student?" Satoru reiterated in confusion. Right, yeah. That's what I meant. Just go with it.
He hesitated once more before slowly nodding his head. "Right, a student..."
"U-Usually, my brother helps with these rambunctious relatives of mine." Qian stated offhandedly, deciding to change the subject as she looked back over her shoulder to look at the party inside the ballroom. "B-But I couldn't find him tonight, I wonder where he went…"
She then walked over to the center of the garden where the fountain stood, a gentle stream of water flowing from its spout. Her feet had been hurting all night. She silently cursed her best friend for lending her these shoes, assuring that "they matched her dress perfectly" and "are the most comfortable ever!"... She should've known that the four-inch height would be too much for her. No doubt her soles will be bruised tomorrow…
Since she was out here anyway, now was honestly the best opportunity to catch a break. She sat down on the stone wall surrounding the lower basin, taking off her heels.
Satoru watched her pull up her skirt, revealing her smooth calves, as she slipped her feet out of the leather straps. She lifted her legs and twisted around to place her bare toes into the pool. As she sighed in relief, closing her eyes to embrace the soothing caress of the cool water on her skin, his gaze traveled to her lips, which were pulled back in a soft smile.
He coughed, trying to clear his suddenly dry throat (and straying thoughts). "Maybe you scared him away." He jested, walking towards her and stuffing his hands into his pockets. "After all, you get pretty intense when it comes to your job."
She gasped and opened her eyes, staring up at him in mock offense. "W-What? No I don't!"
"Yeah, you do." He tucked his glasses into the pocket inside his jacket. "You geek out, it's kind of intimidating."
"I-I do not!" She tried to maintain a glare, but his knowing grin made her falter.
"You start rambling whenever you discover something new." He pointed out, smirking upon seeing her lips twitch in return. "It could be off-putting."
"T-That's not true!" She argued with a pout before tilting her gaze downward. "I-I haven't even discovered anything new…I've hit a roadblock and I don't know how to get over it." She muttered to herself, though loud enough for the man to hear.
Satoru sat beside her on the stone wall, leaving a couple feet between them and facing the other way, keeping his legs on the grass. "What's wrong?"
She eyed him carefully and he grinned, holding his hands up in defeat. "No judgment this time, just curiosity. For you to hit a roadblock without any theories, it must be something bad."
"W-Well, to be honest…" She released a sigh in defeat. "I-If you must know… I can't seem to grow the cells that we got from that cursed user. I thought that combining them with normal human blood would cause them to grow, since I believed the cursed user was responsible for transforming humans into cursed spirits after all. But when I added my own blood…nothing happened."
"Wait, hold on." Satoru cut in, raising his brows incredulously. "You added your own blood?"
"Y-Yes. I didn't have any other human blood available." She replied, quizzically watching his reaction. "I-I wanted to test if my theory was correct."
Satoru palmed his forehead. What the fuck is wrong with this girl- "Are you saying you intentionally hurt yourself?"
"W-What? No, I'm fine." Qian raised her pointer finger, which had a little bandage wrapped around the tip. "I-I just pricked my finger and added a drop to the dish."
Satoru instinctively grabbed her hand. He stared at her steadily, his eyes narrowing in concern. "Why would you do this to yourself?"
The girl blinked, her cheeks growing pink by his hold, and attempted to jerk her hand back. But his grip was firm. "I-I'm fine, really! Don't worry about me."
He regarded her skeptically before peeling the bandaid off. She couldn't help but flinch in pain as he inspected the residual scab where the cut was made beforehand. Upon seeing her knitted brow, he sighed in defeat. "Are you a masochist?'
"N-No, of course not!" Qian retorted incredulously with an avid shake of her head. "T-This is really not a big deal, it's just a drop of blood. People do this all the time to check out what blood type they have." Upon feeling his grip remain on her hand, she tried to pull it away once more.
But he kept staring, and he inched forward to her wound. Her face reddened even more and she froze upon seeing his face directly beneath hers.
"S-Sensei-"